Lost In My Beloved Game
by the-scottish-guy
Summary: The disks broke, the game released, the worlds merge, the story changed, the adventure has just started


The day that my Final Fantasy 9 disks broke, I was traumatised. I had been playing Final Fantasy since I was six. The way it happen was weird though, as if the events after were meant to happen. Maybe it was Apocalypse Day and only some of us could stop it. Anyway, when it happened everything changed. Let me explain.

I was sitting at home, skiving University lectures after a wild party. My roommate, Josh Darks, had the brains to hide all the disks around the room, but I found the second and third disk anyway. I put the third disk in and continued from my save on what must be the fourteenth run through of the game. I was so close to actually getting to the fourth disk. All I had to do was defeat the three simultaneous bosses. The silver dragon was simple as I had equipped wind absorbing items. With my Vivi using Blizzaga, Dagger using Shiva, Steiner was using Blizzaga Sword as much as his MP would let him, and Zidane just attacking as much as he could, I eventually killed the dragon. With one down the next fight was Garland, and this wasn't hard, with his greatest weapon being stop, cured by a remedy, he was defeated. Kuja was a difficult fight, as my summoner was more a healer than an attacker. As I defeated him, then played the end scene, Kuja in trance destroying Terra.

At this point, the screen started buzzing and going askewer. The PS1 (yup, old school) started squealing. I heard a loud crack, and as I opened the disk cover, a swirl of blue smoke poured out into my eyes. I stumbled backwards and rubbed my eyes. A second crack sounded from my disk case. I opened it only to find the disk in half and red smoke pouring out. Two more cracks as brown and white smoke exploded into the room, one from the book case on one side, and one from under the coaster mats on the table. The room was filling with these smokes a lot now. I was struggling to breathe when suddenly it condensed as spun in a tight circle around the room. I dared to touch it and as I did, it shot off in different directions, going straight through anything in its way. I realised I must have being seeing things, the sleep deprivation getting to my head, so turned to the most serious matter at hand. My disks were broken. What was I going to do now? I picked up the two pieces of disk four from under the coaster and saw that they were never going to fix.

"Bummer," I groaned. I threw them onto the table and began to pout. I loved the game. I decided that I should probably go to my lecture so I picked up my bags and headed out the door. As I was about to reach for the handle the sky outside the window turned a freaky shade of shiny purple. I rushed over to the window to look. I looked down, I was on the ninth floor of the building, and everyone else was looking as well. Then suddenly it turned shiny blue, and then back to normal. Everyone seemed to lose interest after that.

I headed for the door when it sprung open, striking me square on the forehead.

"Oww!" I shouted as I hit the floor. In charged a bunch of soldiers, wearing iron armour. I got up. "Who the hell are you?" I asked.

"We are the Knights of Pluto," a deep grunting voice said. I couldn't believe my eyes. In front of me was a very impressive guy dressed up as Steiner from Final Fantasy.  
>"Very good, did Josh set you up to this?" I asked.<p>

"I am not sure who this Josh is, so no," the Steiner said. The makeup department had really gone to work on this guy. Was this a prank? Have I missed something?

"What's going on then?" I asked, rubbing the front of my head.

"We are escorting the princess to a remote location while the castle is under attack?"

"The castle?"

"Alexandria Castle."

"And where's that?" I asked, wondering how this prank was going to hold if I caught along.

"South East, it's the capital," one of the knights answered. I hadn't noticed, but they were just as good as their 'captain'.

"Of what country?" I laughed.

"England, seriously you're in this university and you don't know that?"

"Look, this is a good prank but I gotta get to class." I went to pick up my bag with my laptop but it had gone.

"Where's my laptop?"

"What's a laptop?" all the knights seemed confused. A call came from the hallway.

"Captain, we've got mages!" Steiner looked worried.

"Princess, get in here, please," he said, directing a small person into the room. I was impressed now because I was looking at someone dressed as Princess Garnet, wearing her white hooded garb. There was an explosion from the hallway and a scream.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Kuja's mages, they want to kidnap the Princess." Steiner growled. "Come on you cowards," he shouted to his men, and he pulled out his sword. A weird glowing orb flew past the door as he left, a bang sounding a few seconds later. "Get down and stay hidden." Steiner commanded. I stood motionless as I suddenly noticed my apartment didn't quite look the way it did. It looked older, like it was from the medieval ages. Loads of things were missing, the T.V, the stereo, the kitchen! Was I dreaming? I must have been hallucinating from that weird smoke. They must have been losing the fight because Steiner walked in with a flesh wound.

"They are too many, and I doubt I'll be of much assistance." Steiner said, looking at the princess, they must have discussed the event of him and the knights staying behind because she looked ready to argue when he gave her a glare. He then looked at me. "What is your name?"

"Hamish, um, Hamish Douglas." I said, forgetting my name for a moment. It was this point that I presumed they were going end the prank.

"Will you escort the princess to Ludblum?"

"Where's that?"

"Geez!" he groaned, a knight had fallen in the doorway. "Capital of Scotland."

"Course it is." I said, rolling my eyes. "Um, how do we get down?"

"Out the window," Garnet suggested.

"How?" I asked. She produced a rope from her bag she was carrying. She tied it to a table. She started climbing down the rope. Steiner looked to me.

"You better look after her, or I will become your worst nightmare!" he told me. He passed me a sword, I guess I was meant to use it to fight anything that attacked us. I followed Garnet down the rope, not enjoying the fact that if I slipped I'd be falling from a nine story building. I touched ground and couldn't feel more relived.

"Um, Garnet, I'm Hamish, nice to meet you?" I suggested, having no idea what to say to her.

"I apologize for the inconvenience caused," she said.

"Yeah, 'kay, I have to admit I have no idea what's going on." I admitted.

"You didn't hear?"

"No, not really."

"Kuja worked in my castle as an advisor for my mother, but recently he assassinated her and has tried to seize control, the castle was invaded by the black mages, and the soldiers have been fighting and protecting me as we headed north."

"Why not take an airship."

"The Red Rose has been seized, along with my mother's navy." I wasn't quite ready to believe what was going on just yet.

I started walking around the corner of the building, when I saw it all. There was a battle raging, black mages and the female soldiers of Alexandria. There was just too much for it to be a prank. Now I was really questioning what had happened to me.

"Princess, what's the plan to get out of here?"

"We'll have to take cover in the woods nearby and wait for nightfall, it's too risky to be seen in daylight."

"Your choice my highness."

And so that's what we did, we crossed the battle, keeping behind allied lines, which was hard, as the black mages just turned up out of nowhere, and I mean nowhere. There would be a flash of blue and red light and then they'd just pop out. We'd be blocked away by soldiers and I would lead Garnet to safety.

We got to the woods and we took cover under a pair of fallen tree trunks, which lied across a trench that had been filled in on one side by years of natures work. I spent the time trying to work out what had happened. My theory was that the strange smoke had somehow caused a twisted storyline of the game to merge with the geography of Earth. It was that or I was having a really messed up dream.

We'd been sitting in the dirt for the best part of three hours, in complete awkward silence. I really had nothing to say to her, as I knew nothing in this version of reality. She must have been uncomfortable spending time with a complete stranger her trusted knight had hired in the spur of the moment.

"Um, Garnet, may I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Was it a specific day in your life when Kuja killed your mother?"

"It was my birthday," her head sunk, her hood still covering her head.

"Let me guess, you're sixteen." I asked. She nodded. I guessed I knew what Kuja's plan was. I needed keep that to myself, as it could cause her distress. There was a loud crack from about twenty meters away. I felt my heart rate speed up. I signalled Garnet to stay put. I stood up and shifted around the edge of the tree trunk. I stood on a twig and it broke.

BANG!

The tree trunk burst into fire. I was sent flying backwards.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" screamed a voice. I was struck in the chest by a giant block of ice. I pulled out my sword and prepared for battle. A second chunk of ice struck me, this time it hit my legs and I fell face first. I ran towards the attacker, but a burst of fire from the ground meant that I was slashing blindly as I couldn't see. I backed up and studied the area. I saw the shadow of the attacker. I charged again but stopped as the flames erupted from its hands. I blocked with my sword, the force causing me to take a deep stance, the flames spreading to an uncomfortable distance from my sides. The flames lit the face of the attacker. A smaller version of the black mages that attacked the university. Its yellow eyes were fuelled by fear and anger. I could see my sword glow red.

"STOP!" yelled Garnet. The mage seemed to be started by a second voice and the flames stopped. I had been leaning into the flames to stop myself overbalancing, so when the flames stopped I stumbled and dropped the sword. The dead leaves on the ground caught a light from my heated blade.

"Who-who are you?" the mage asked.

"Princess don't tell him...ach." I started, kicking myself for starting with 'Princess'.

"Princess? You-you don't work for Kuja?"

"Nope, technically I don't work." I responded.

"What's your name?" asked Garnet.

"Vivi Ornitier." Vivi Ornitier replied hastily.

"Sorry Vivi, I didn't mean to attack you, I thought you were one of Kuja's mages, especially after the magic attacks." I said, still stomping the flames that smouldered on the ground.

"It's okay, I thought you were a soldier attacking me for being a mage."

"Are you heading anywhere in particular?" I asked.

"No, just away from the fighting."

"Would you like to join us? With the princesses permission of course." I asked.

"Where are you heading?"

"Lindblum." I responded.

"Okay."

"Hamish!" Garnet said. "Are you serious? He just attacked us!"

"Yeah, I'm serious. I have no idea what's in this world. He would be useful as an ally, his spells are powerful. Also he's scared and lost in a war caused by your mother's advisor!"

"Steiner would not approve of this."

"I think he would," I said, "More protection for his beloved princess."

With that I headed back to the turned over trees and attempted to rest.


End file.
